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Cyriana Ryder walked through Prodromos without her armour. It was odd to walk through such a familiar place and feel a weight literally lifted from her. It was safe – no more Kett attacks, and a strong perimeter to keep out hostile wildlife. She knitted her fingers behind her back and let her blue eyes drift upward. The night sky was clear. Countless stars flickered above her. A warm breeze brushed through her hair. A small smile hung in the corner of her lips.
Vetra admired the sight some distance away. She watched the way the compound’s lights illuminated Cy’s purple hair like a halo behind her. The human she was in love with. The human that somehow loved her back. A woman who treated her ragtag crew like family and treated Sid as family too. Cy reflected so many of Vetra’s values that it scared her in the beginning. What should have tied them tightly together planted a seed of doubt that it was somehow too good to be true, but somehow that seed blossomed into an actual relationship.
She watched Cy for a moment longer and then moved the basket from one hand to another as she approached her. Cy offered her a warm smile. “You’re not tired?” Vetra asked.
“Nope,” Cy replied. “I guess my internal clock isn’t lined up with Eos’ cycle.”
“Do you want to do something with me?”
Cy’s smiled widened. “Always.”
Vetra motioned for them to walk, and Cy followed next to Vetra. Vetra said, “When we stopped at the Nexus, Sid put something together for us. She thought we should do something that was more like a real date.”
“Wow, rude. We date.”
“Sid said it didn’t count if guns were involved,” Vetra said. She raised her hands defensively as she continued, “I know, she’s definitely wrong, but she’s my sister.”
Cy laughed a bit at that, and Vetra loved the way her lips rose to expose her teeth when she laughed. Cy asked, “So what does Sid have in store for us?”
Vetra stopped them some ways away from the settlement. They still had enough light to see, and as Vetra took a blanket out of the basket, she positioned their backs to the light. The pair set down with their shadows spreading out across the blanket. Sitting the basket down, Vetra pulled a few pieces of wrapped food out of it.
“Sid suggested I cook something for it, but it went so poorly last time - and it’d mean cooking twice as much-”
Cy smiled. “I love what you’ve done.”
Vetra had brought along a few pre-wrapped snacks and some warm drinks in two thermoses. The pair spoke with each other as they ate and drank. They discussed their current tasks and the things Vetra planned to get for the crew and ship. As it usually did, the conversation turned to personal stories and questions about their lives back in the Milky Way. They laughed and exchanged smiles. They tried not to think of the ghosts under the soil and what it took to get this far on Eos.
Cy said, “You know, I’m happy that most of my experiences here have been with you.” Leaning back onto the blanket, she continued, “As much as I love talking about the times we weren’t together, I love that you’ve been around for so much of - well, everything. I worried this might be a lonely trip. I knew I’d make friends, but,” her voice trailed off.
Vetra nodded. She had felt it too. “You weren’t sure how deep those friendships would run.”
Cy smiled and watched her. In the low-light, Vetra almost couldn’t see the purple tattoo sprawling across her forehead. Vetra relaxed on the blanket next to her, and their fingers naturally twined together. Cy’s touch was warm and firm. Even with such a light touch, Vetra knew their relationship was as steady as Cy’s grip. She had no doubt.
As Vetra’s head tilted towards her, Cy had the same thoughts running through her head. She supposed from the beginning she was interested in being Vetra’s friend. Vetra slunk past the red tape that endlessly frustrated Cy, and she respected the way that Vetra did it. Cy might have been able to be the Pathfinder without her, but it wouldn’t have been the same. Vetra made her stronger, more determined, but also kept a part of her soft and real. She was the Pathfinder, but she hadn’t lost herself in the process. All their nights talking together, venting about their problems or just talking about their lives, Cy kept a sturdy grip on who she was. She wasn’t trapped in her father’s shadow. She wasn’t just a tool for the initiative.
Her eyes ran across Vetra. She loved her. She loved her laugh and the way it never failed to spread a warmth through her chest. She loved the way Vetra’s hand fit in hers. She loved the subtle changes in her carapace and how now that she knows her so well, she knows exactly what all the little nuances mean. How when she’s impatient she shifts her weight from one foot to the other and moved her gun to the opposite hand. How when she’s nervous she tinkers with her gun or keeps busy by acquiring things the ship needs. And how when Cy’s nervous too, Vetra’s hand always finds its way back to hers.
When Cy lightly drew her hand away from Vetra, Vetra lightly wrapped her arm around Cy’s back. It was a comfortable routine. Cy rested her hand on Vetra’s chest. When she tucked her head against Vetra’s neck, Vetra softly squeezed her before resting her cheek on top of Cy’s head. The pair watched the stars above them, almost feeling the planet spinning beneath them. They both absently wondered what would have happened if they met in the Milky Way. They fit together perfectly now, and if 600 years and a new galaxy is what it took them to find each other, they were both happy they’d made the leap.